Busy, busy, busy…

Busy Behind the Scenes

It's been busier here than it might seem.

Earlier this year, we embarked on an exciting project to measure the local Creative Economy and compare it to other communities. With this information, our goal is to make well-informed recommendations for the future.

This project is crucial to our business for obvious reasons, but it's also vital for the community, as this sector of the economy is experiencing rapid growth.

We couldn't—and shouldn't—undertake a project of this magnitude alone. We've partnered with the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Red Wing Downtown Main Street, Inc., Anderson Center at Tower View, Red Wing Arts Association, ArtReach, and the Sheldon Theatre of Performing Arts.

Being in such good company adds credibility to the final report.

We are proud of the final report and encourage you to download your own copy.

The tale of the table under the tent

The Picnic Table: Social Networking 1.0

Think of the picnic table under the canopy tent in the parking lot as Social Networking 1.0. It is the most fundamental device for creating community networks.

World problems have been solved, and judgment passed on every local politician at this very table.

Just last month, under this tent, Leah Nesbitt was declared the 2009 Downtown Red Wing Macaroni and Cheese Smackdown Champion (she used all Wisconsin natural ingredients).

At night, the little Japanese lanterns are lit up, and the table becomes more of a 'night spot' where topics are dissected, examined, and reassembled, often over fermented nectar and usually in hushed voices. In the mornings, it is a destination for coffee and a newspaper.

Warren Buffet would appreciate how effective this $70 picnic table is as a marketing tool.

Eat. Shop. Play. Local.

The Importance of Funding Art and Spending Local

Recently, a letter to the editor of the local newspaper argued for funding art at the elementary school level. Apparently, there has been discussion about reducing the amount of art received in elementary schools due to budget pressures. The typical solution has been to increase the tax levy and ask taxpayers to pay more.

A more sustainable approach is to simply spend local. Every dollar spent locally in a community can have up to three times the multiplier tax return to the community versus buying from an out-of-state big box retailer, all without raising taxes a single cent. Let's use two simple examples:

Example 1: A citizen spends a dollar at a local big-box retailer. Taxes are exchanged for that dollar spent, and the dollar is promptly deposited in an out-of-state bank account somewhere in Four Corners, Arkansas. That dollar is retired as far as the local economy is concerned.

Example 2: A citizen spends a dollar at their local custom frame shop. Again, taxes are exchanged, but this time the local frame shop owner races to their local bank to cover the check they wrote to the local plumber to have their hot water heater repaired. The plumber, in turn, cashes that check to buy a silk suit from Josephsons Clothing Store. Tom from Josephsons then uses that money to buy himself a beer next door at The Staghead Restaurant to celebrate having finally sold that XXXL silk suit.

The same dollar has contributed to the local economy three separate times, each time participating in the overall tax exchange and actively contributing to the cash flow of four different local employers.

Red Wing Downtown Main Street is focused on exactly these types of issues. The Eat-Shop-Play-Local tag-line could include many other action verbs (Buy. Stay. Invest.), but the point is to think about where your money goes after you spend it.

CSI: Red Wing

Solving Crimes, Dragnet Style

Growing up on Dragnet taught me how crimes like this are solved.

First, you interview all the neighbors, gather what they might have seen or heard. Talk fast to get fast answers. If they wander off-topic (as citizens tend to do), bring them right back on track. Rattle their cage a bit, leave a business card in case they remember anything later.

Next, look for motive. Investigate the victim to see if there are any gambling issues or large debts owed. Determine if there's a 'dame' involved. Follow up on any motel matchbook covers or cocktail napkins you might find.

This case quickly boiled down to one of two theories: an expert sharpshooter with a middle-European accent was poised on the roof of The Sheldon Theatre and, in a case of mistaken identity, attempted an assassination under the cloak of darkness.

Or...

Two punks in a beat-up car fired a wrist rocket at my window and several of my neighbors' windows.

Thanks